to the most important moments. slavery, a civil war, and emancipation, migration, jim crow, a depression, and all the steps forward and back were reflected of who we are. >> host: did you think of it as a smaller project? not to put it in context the individuals of the family tree but it became a social history of rural and urban urban, a southern and northern sweeping, intimate. did that scale have been as a result of their research with pen to paper and fought this is much more than i thought? >> guest: alloys had an idea her family was reflective but when you are in it, it becomes something else. as a practical matter when you dig back this is far you don't have the voices you need to bring the story to life. people say what about letters and journals? if people were barred from writing and reading those records geneticist and historical records do not capture as much. i knew i had to get extemporaneous characters to bring it to life. i do not think about leaving those stories of the people of the time. >> host: you did a very good job. [laughter] one review did make light that you we
